When one is driving up or down Highway One, every sense is informed by the majestic, staggering, rugged beauty of our coastline. But where some see beauty that should be left untouched, others see potential profits—or, worse, a dumping ground for garbage.
Local nonprofit Save Our Shores has been involved in the conservation of the Monterey Bay Area since 1978.
From its grassroots beginnings, Save Our Shores has been an integral part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary—a geological wonder, with its deepest canyon being two and half miles deep. Home to gray whales, orcas, elephant seals, dolphins, brown pelicans, sharks, rays and leatherback turtles, the Monterey Bay is a stunning ecosystem.
Back in the 1970s, there was a nationwide movement to combat pollution. A lone owl, named Woodsy, had a battle cry: “Give a hoot. Don’t pollute.” But things never slowed down. In 2024, the U.S. is set to produce 300 million pounds of garbage. And much of that garbage ends up in the ocean.
Who are the stewards of the planet? Who is looking out for the Central Coast? Where is our Woodsy? The answer: Save Our Shores, along with all the like-minded organizations they partner with, forming a Justice League who battle enemies as innocuous (yet toxic) as plastic.
Plastics are poisoning our bodies and the planet. Millions of tons of plastic wash up on beaches around the world, yearly. Save Our Shores leads the way on Coastal Clean Up Day, and throughout the year, all along the Central Coast. Hundreds of volunteers wander our beaches and coastline, picking up garbage and plastic debris.
One third of all plastic picked up is cigarette butts. Over a 10-year period, Save Our Shores gathered half a million butts. This year, Save Our Shores helped pass a ban on selling filtered cigarettes in the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County. While this sounds harsh to those, like myself, addicted to filtered cigarettes, it’s time to make a change.
And the kind of concentrated, educated choices that Save Our Shores makes ensures that our coastline can stay pristine into the 21st century. From preventing offshore drilling, to educational programs, to literally walking the coastline and picking up garbage, this is a worthy Santa Cruz nonprofit.
Now through the end of the year, Good Times readers can support Save Our Shores through Santa Cruz Gives. This fundraising initiative—its website is SantaCruzGives.org—makes philanthropy fun, with 63 different groups participating as a leaderboard tallies up the money they’ve raised.
Think about how often you’ve gone to the beach, driven up the coast or pulled over to marvel at the surfers, skating across the rippling emerald-green waves. Or maybe you found a wise old tree on the Coast, a secret spot that you go to to heal your mind. For all those reasons, It’s time to give.
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